Calgary Firefighters Toy Association throws a Christmas party for thousands of kids at Telus Centre

The Calgary Firefighters Toy Association threw a Christmas party Sunday afternoon for about 4,000 kids at the Telus Convention Centre.

For Farrah Hart and her four-year-old daughter Bria, it was a party to remember.

“It’s our first time,” Farrah said. “(Seeing) Santa, face-painting, the performers – it’s just super-fun.

“Honestly I’m a single parent,” Hart added, “so I had a really great time here with my daughter. We were looking forward to this all year.”

Calgary Firefighters have been gathering toys and giving them to kids in need since the 1940s, said Mark Hagel, president of the Calgary Firefighters Toy Association.

"We’re just carrying on legacy started in 1945 by Howard Williams,” Hagel said. “He started fixing broken toys and hand-delivering them – and we’re just kind of expanded on that."

Mark Hagel, the president of the Calgary Firefighters Toy Association, at the organization's annual Christmas Party Sunday, Dec.22, 2024.

“We see the need (in the community) as firefighters on a day-to-day basis,” he added.”We do pretty good stuff, but we’re always dealing with somebody’s worst day of their lives -- so this is actually allows us to deal with somebody’s best day of their life.

“So it’s awesome.”

Joining the thousands of kids, who each received gifts, was Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek.

“Calgarians are known for their generous spirit and for being community builders,” Gondek said. “At a time when there’s a lot of families struggling, just the joy on kids faces when they get to see they can check out a vintage fire truck or real fire truck over there,  they get to see Santa – and there’s gifts for them – it’s just heartwarming.”

She said the event was a reflection of the kind of people who work for the Calgary Fire Department.

“(The) Calgary Fire Department is full of human beings who have very big hearts,” she said. “The work that they do everyday is nothing short of heroic."

Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek at the firefighters toy association Christmas Party on Sunday, Dec.22, 2024

“They never know what they’re going to get called into – and at Christmas, they put everything into hosting this celebration for kids and families who might need a little hand this year.

“I can’t thank fire department enough for what they do this year.”

With files from CTV's Tyler Barrow